More Rice Cookers, Blenders Bought In South East Asia This Year

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 20 (Bernama) -- A report by GfK Asia on South East Asia's Small Domestic Appliances (SDA) market said consumers in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam bought over 15 million units of rice cookers, vacuum cleaners, irons, and food preparation equipments for the first 10 months this year. This was 1.84 million units more than last year, it said, indicating a volume expansion of 13.6 per cent over the same period last year, and bringing its total value to date to US$446 million. "All four categories are reflecting healthy double-digit growth, with the rice cooker segment taking the lead with its 24 and 23 per cent increase in sales value and volume," GfK Asia said in a statement on Monday. Regional Account Director for Home & Lifestyle Jasmine Lim said: "GfK findings revealed that while the Indonesians and Vietnamese spend the largest proportion of their SDA budget on rice cookers, it is the Thais who buy the greatest number of rice cookers across the five markets." "The general trend we are seeing across the countries is the continued rise in popularity of the more sophisticated jar type rice cooker which has capabilities that extend beyond just the basic cooking of rice." She said the tendency of consumers upgrading to more premium appliances is apparent not just in the rice cooker category, but also other home gadgets. "This trend clearly indicates a bright future for the region's SDA markets, which is very likely to close the year on a high note," Lim concluded. The GfK Group is a market research organisation which delivers consultancy services in the three business sectors; Custom Research, Retail and Technology and Media. --BERNAMA Malaysia